How to Grow Capsicum Peppers

Start seeds indoors six to eight weeks before the last expected frost date in your area. Fill plant tray with quality potting mix amended with compost until 1 inch below the edge. Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep and water lightly. Place the seeds in a warm spot with consistent temperature between 70 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. The seeds germinate in 10 days to two weeks.

Prepare a planting bed in well-draining, fertile soil in your yard that has full sun exposure. Till the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches. Test the soil pH to determine its range, and add sulfur or lime to adjust it so it falls between 6.0 and 6.8.

Incorporate shovelfuls of a low-nitrogen fertilizer to the existing soil and rake its top until smooth. Transplant the seedlings to the prepared soil when nighttime temperatures remain consistent at 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Set the seedlings 18 to 20 inches apart in a row, with multiple rows 36 inches apart.

Provide the plants 1 to 2 inches of water every week, unless supplemented by rainfall, soaking the soil to a depth of 6 inches. Consistent irrigation is especially important during fruit set and development time. Mulching the plants keeps the roots cool and prevents weed infestations.

Fertilize the capsicum pepper plants when the fruit grows 1 inch wide using 2 to 3 tbsp. of high-nitrogen fertilizer per 10 feet of row. Follow label directions for fertilizer application. Afterward, feed the plants a well-balanced, general-purpose fertilizer every month once the fruit set.

Inspect capsicum peppers for pests such as borers and aphids. Pick borers off the plants with tweezers or direct a hard jet of water at the plants to dislodge aphids. Collect and remove plant debris from around them to reduce chances of pest infestations.